1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sterilizable package. More specifically, the present invention relates to a sterilizable package that can be torn open from any where across the side of the bag as desired by the user.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Packages for the reception and, thereafter, sterilization of medical products and the like are known in the art. One example of such a package is shown in FIGS. 1–3, where a prior art sterilizable package 10 is illustrated. Package 10 is formed of a ply 12. Ply 12 itself is formed of two (2) of plies of plastic material. One of the two plies is a carrier and the other ply is a heat sealer, to effect the heat seal between these two plies. For example, one ply is conventionally made of polyester and the other ply is conventionally made of polypropylene. A specially treated paper 14 is disposed opposite to ply 12, which is known in the art as a sterilizable kraft paper. Ply 12 is heat sealed to paper 14 along a heat seal line 16 along essentially three edges of the package. To use package 10, the product to be sterilized is inserted into the open top of the package, as illustrated in FIG. 1. Thereafter, a backing paper 18 is removed to expose an adhesive 20 so that the top open edge of package 10 can be closed by applying adhesive 20 to ply 14. Thereafter, package 10 is sterilized by any conventional sterilizing technique so that the product may then be stored until the product is required for use. To open the sterilized package 10 and access the product, the user will grasp a bottom end 22 of package 10 and separate ply 12 from ply 14, as illustrated in FIG. 3. This process usually requires a certain amount of deftness by the user and involves the risk that the sterilized product may accidentally fall out from package 10. In addition, because this package utilizes two plies of film and a heat seal between the film and the paper, it is very difficult to provide gussets in the side of the bag to increase the volume for receiving the product to be sterilized because this would effectively double the side wall thickness in the gusset area immediately adjacent to where the heat seal is formed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,642,126 to Kurtz et al. discloses another package for receiving medical products. The package includes a sealed compartment 3 for containing a medical object 4. An edge 8 of the package is provided with a plurality of tear-initiating areas 9. These areas are illustrated as being slots that extend through the front and back sheets 1, 2 from the outer edge of the package towards the sealed compartment 3. A second opposite edge is provided with the same tear-initiating areas 9. To open the package, one grabs the package near one of the tear-initiating areas and the user tears open the package from this edge 8. Thus, the package in accordance with the Kurtz disclosure has the slots 9 extending all the way to the outer edge of the package. With this structure there is a significant risk that the package could be accidentally snagged and thereby inadvertently opened. In addition, having the slits at the edge of the package does not provide an orderly package for storing or stacking purposes.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a sterilizable package that can be easily torn open from anywhere along the side of the package, with minimal risk of the package being inadvertently opened. In addition, there is a need to provide a sterilizable package that can accommodate relatively larger volume products.